Oy with the split leaps!

Alright so today’s post is about split leaps. Leaps are a hard thing to teach well, especially to itty bitty gymnasts. The videos that follow are drills I have found work well at combating SOME (not all) common issues I see. What do you do to teach/fix split leaps?

I really like the emphasis on the arms, chest and head in this first drill while working on pushing through the back foot and maintaining a good split. It’s hard to get young gymnasts to do it like this, but once they understand I think it fixes a lot of things.

This second video is a drill I also like a lot, because since the back leg is on a mat gymnasts have an easier time feeling when it’s bend. It’s also great for helping the lift their front legs without dropping their chests.